The neck is certainly different but not in a bad way. The pickup cover kind of sucks because it covers the part of the string that I most enjoy plucking over. Maybe I'll pay for a pro setup and see how that fairs.
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Wondering if I should return my Ric
- Thread starter jmattbassplaya
- Start date
return it & wait to find a 4004 for the right price
Totally agree that fingers want to be right where the cover is.
Treble Bezel for Rickenbacker 4003/4001
I got this cover plate for mine. There are three styles and different finishes to choose from.
Sounds like you should keep it. It makes you play differently and you thought about it a long time so you must inherently like them.
If you get rid of it, you will still pine for the sound or whatever you like about them while your mind will conveniently forget about the small inconveniences. Once that sets in, you'll have to go find another Ric and that will likely take longer than the 5 years of tweaks (really, how often must those things be tweaked?) that are bothering you now.
I've never owned a Ric, nor ever considered one. This is free, unbiased, logical feedback for you. Keep it.
I also like the 4004 better than the 4003 , got the rick sound without all the hassles.return it & wait to find a 4004 for the right price
When i get a new Bass , there are 3 outcomes:
- i am completly in love with the bass - it won't last long
- i don't love the bass (i will never love it)
- i really like the general look, feel and sound of the bass, love it a bit and probably keep it
I own a 2014 4003 and have learned to love it with all of the idiosyncrasies and things that are a PITA, but that's me.
Killed_by_Death's suggestion to get a 4004 may be a good option for you. I believe there is currently a 20% off coupon for GC right this moment, so it could be the timing couldn't be more perfect if that floats your boat.
Killed_by_Death's suggestion to get a 4004 may be a good option for you. I believe there is currently a 20% off coupon for GC right this moment, so it could be the timing couldn't be more perfect if that floats your boat.
Did it come with installation instructions? The last thing in the world that anyone would call would be a luthier.
I'd keep it... If you don't like it in a year, I would think you could your money back, then some, since you got a good deal on it... (keep it).
This was exactly my experience, but I did restrain and not buy one. I'm glad I didn't, because I know we never would have gotten along.
If you're not in love there's little you or we can do to help it really. Rationalizing about it is not bad and can teach you so you make better choices in the future, it tailors and refines your taste for basses. But arguments from either RIC fans or non-fans won't change your love or hate for this instrument. You're not alone, many don't find RICs appealing, an many love them. I'm in between, love the RIC sound, they play nice, yet they never made a decent 5er nor do evolve their products, not even slowly and progressively like i.e. Musicman and many other companies with "legacy" products do (particularly huge boo to them for keeping the same ugly PITA bridge into the XXI century). IDK, I prefer basses conceived to be enjoyed, not dealt with.
I have the same bass and have decided to order this, even with the bezel, I find my thumb cramps too much when playing mineLink Removed
Rics are odd ducks. It seems you either love them right away or don't. If it's the latter, you might as well move on now as it won't ever get any better. Everything about them is just a little different, all the way down to the strap pins, so they don't take to many modifications gracefully. There's really no way to mod them until you love them. I've had mine well over 40 years now, so I guess I'm in the "Love It" camp but I certainly understand why there are those that will never be on this side of the fence.
Bought a 4003 in black years ago and never bonded with it. Wanted to do a bunch of work to it and it was purely uncomfortable to me. The sound as OK to my ears and of course sounded better in the store. Glad I returned it. Return it and find something more comfortable to you right off the shelf (or USED shelf).
If you love to tinker then return it. Ricks are more set it and forget it. Mine was good off the shelf and I haven't touched it since 8/2015. The action is sick. I play by the neck and didn't remove the pickup cover either.
I DID add a zero-mod thumb rest however.
I DID add a zero-mod thumb rest however.
There's no in between with a Ric. You're into them, in which case you roll with all the minor annoyances that go with them, or you decide their sound and vibe really just ain't you and you move on. Same goes for any other bass out there really. There's no fault or foul in that. And also why there's so many different basses out there.
My rule of thumb is: when in doubt, a bass is a little too expensive a thing to hang onto if you're not going to enjoy it.
My rule of thumb is: when in doubt, a bass is a little too expensive a thing to hang onto if you're not going to enjoy it.
Between Joeys Bass Notes online, and numerous YouTube vids, anyone with any mechanical aptitude can easily setup a Ric. The truss rods are like any other...except there are two of them. This nonsense about "difficult to set up" and "quirky" is BS. That being said, if you don't like it now you probably never will.
I had always wanted a ric, for the same reasons you cite.
I had a student who had to do some travel, so she loaned me her 4003 for a few weeks, giving me a change to wring it out, see what the whole "ric" thing is like.
I learned I did not dig it. It simply did not work for me, for various reasons.
Your results may vary.
I had a student who had to do some travel, so she loaned me her 4003 for a few weeks, giving me a change to wring it out, see what the whole "ric" thing is like.
I learned I did not dig it. It simply did not work for me, for various reasons.
Your results may vary.
When I spend this much money on something (anything), it has to check all the boxes. If I was uncertain about an instrument after a week of playing and living with it, I'd send it back and wait for something better to come along.
It's usually a good sign if your enthusiasm GROWS after playing a new bass for a few days / weeks. If it's going in the opposite direction, she's probably not a keeper...
It's usually a good sign if your enthusiasm GROWS after playing a new bass for a few days / weeks. If it's going in the opposite direction, she's probably not a keeper...
You can't buy a Ric and then complain that it's a Ric!
(The pickup cover should be removed though...)
(The pickup cover should be removed though...)
Taking off a small cover is a burden compared to taking off the freakin neck to adjust?
Set-ups are no big deal with the RIC, just different.
Plus, I have never touched the truss rods on my 4003s, and I live in NE Ohio. Pretty sure we just went through 6 seasons this past week from 70 and sunny to 20 and snow.
Do you like the way it sounds? That is much for important than worrying about adjustments that I have yet to worry about. Haven't touched the bridge or neck. Have to tune it now and then. That's it.
Hell I have a Carvin LB70 made in 1992. Bought it used a few years back.
I've never had to touch the truss rod. I have no clue if it even works at this point.
I wouldn't own a bass that needs intonation or neck adj. 3 times a month.
